Talha Al Ali aka Wise Wolf - Rap Artist

At the end of my time in Palestine, I met a wonderful poet and rapper, Talha Al Ali aka Wise Wolf. At the Dar Qandeel Center in Tulkarem, Talha generously allowed me to interview and then video him rapping. I am including the rap on this page with a synopsis of its meaning. He uses short stories, poetry and rap to describe his concerns as a Palestinian and a human being. As well as singing and writing, he plays the piano, harmonica and tablah. Among his many talents and audiences, Tahla has acted in and written plays for the theater. He has also designed courses in drama, one of which was for teenagers in prison. Born in Kuwait, Talha and his family moved to the Aal-baqa’a refugee camp in 1991. He spent nine years in the camp before returning at fourteen to Palestine and Tulkarem City, his family’s original home. He studied psychology and counseling at An- Najh University in Nablus.

Talha has always had the support of his parents who “gave me the right to do whatever I see as right. They said that they will be always by my side in what I believe in. They liked the rap I started to do because they love the lyrics I write, and they always believed in my talent and in everything I do in my life.”

While in high school, Talha loved writing poetry and stories and practicing break dance. He also listened to rap and often “made” freestyles without ever having learned the basics of this form. While in university he continued to perform freestyles but but only in front of an audience of friends. Because of their encouragement, Talha decided to learn the "formal" basics of rap. So he did, honing his craft at the Jaffa Center in the Balata Camp in Nablus. There he gained more experience working with a Danish group on a hip hop project. After this, he was launched and began making “official” songs.

His eclectic musical heroes include Rami GB from Palestine, Rakim, Tupac, BIG, Big L, Bone Thugs in Harmony and The Game, the Egyptian Mohamad Mouner, Cat Stevens, and Finnish Poets of the Fall.

Talha has traveled to and performed in Jordan, but most of his time is spent with Palestinian audiences in such places and venues as Dar Qandeel, Tulkarm City; the Jaffa Center, Balata Refugee Camp; Nablus City; Freedom Theater, Jenin City; Dar Alnadwah, Bethlehem; Tamer Institute, Ramallah; and Beit Hanina, East Jerusalem.

Talha appeals to many audiences and age groups. Older audiences like his work because he addresses social issues that many are afraid to talk about such as child abuse, unemployment, “ true” Palestinian history, the need to boycott the occupation and its products, and women’s rights.

Video: The song in this video is about unemployment in Palestine especially about those who have graduated from university and don’t have help getting jobs. They go to work as taxi drivers or as vegetable sellers on the street. In this rap Talha concentrates on the reasons for unemployment other than the Occupation itself.